Arrests in North Carolina and Southern California targeted unrelated plans that investigators say were timed for Dec. 31 festivities.
WASHINGTON, DC — Federal authorities said they thwarted two separate New Year’s Eve terror plots in the United States, announcing arrests in late December tied to an alleged ISIS-inspired plan in North Carolina and an alleged bombing conspiracy in Southern California. Court records unsealed Friday detailed the North Carolina case as officials also outlined the earlier California arrests.
Officials said the cases were unrelated but shared a timing window around Dec. 31. Prosecutors in Charlotte allege an 18-year-old from Mint Hill planned a mass stabbing at a grocery store and a nearby fast-food restaurant in support of the Islamic State group. In Los Angeles, prosecutors say four people in a far-left, anti-government group prepared to detonate improvised explosive devices against multiple sites linked to two U.S. companies on New Year’s Eve. Both investigations were led by FBI Joint Terrorism Task Forces with local partners, and both remain in early court stages.
According to a criminal complaint unsealed Jan. 2, the North Carolina suspect, identified as Christian Sturdivant, was arrested on Dec. 31 after weeks of contact with undercover personnel he believed were tied to ISIS. Investigators say he pledged loyalty to the group and shared images of two hammers and a knife while discussing his plan. A search on Dec. 29 recovered two knives, two hammers, a vest and tactical gloves from his bedroom, along with a handwritten note titled “New Years Attack 2026” that laid out a goal of stabbing as many as 20 people and confronting responding officers. “This successful collaboration between federal and local law enforcement saved American lives,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement. Sturdivant made an initial appearance in federal court in Charlotte after the complaint was unsealed, authorities said.
Sturdivant is charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. Prosecutors said undercover communications began in December and included a recorded oath of allegiance. The complaint describes social media posts praising ISIS and messages detailing a specific grocery store target. Officials say the knives and hammers seized matched images the defendant sent during the planning. The FBI Charlotte Field Office led the case with assistance from the Mint Hill Police Department, other local agencies and cyber investigators with the New York Police Department. Authorities said the teenager remains in federal custody; a detention decision and future court dates have not yet been publicly set. If convicted, he faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison.
In California, prosecutors say four defendants — Audrey Illeene Carroll, 30, of South Los Angeles; Zachary Aaron Page, 32, of Torrance; Dante Gaffield, 24, of South Los Angeles; and Tina Lai, 41, of Glendale — were arrested Dec. 12 in the Mojave Desert as agents moved in before any functional device was assembled. A complaint filed in Los Angeles federal court and later followed by an indictment describes an eight-page plan titled “Operation Midnight Sun,” which called for simultaneous backpack bombings at five or more locations beginning at midnight on New Year’s Eve. Investigators say the group gathered bomb-making materials, wiped down pipes they intended to use, and traveled to a remote site to test components before agents intervened. “The defendants allegedly planned to carry out terrorist attacks by targeting American businesses with explosives,” said Akil Davis, the assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office.
Prosecutors in the Central District of California say the alleged conspiracy was rooted in a small extremist network that espoused anti-capitalist and anti-government views and encouraged violence against officials. The charging documents describe the group as promoting “liberation through decolonization” and using the term “Turtle Island” to refer to North America. Authorities said the plot included future ambitions to target federal officers and vehicles. Agents from the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force were joined by the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, and the Palm Springs Police Department. No explosives detonated, and no injuries were reported. The defendants made initial appearances in downtown Los Angeles after their arrests.
The California defendants are charged with conspiracy and possession of an unregistered destructive device. If convicted, each count carries maximum penalties of five and 10 years in prison, respectively. A federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment on Dec. 23, according to prosecutors. Future hearings were not immediately available in public calendars. In the North Carolina case, prosecutors said the complaint was filed Dec. 31 and unsealed Jan. 2 after Sturdivant’s first court appearance. Officials did not identify the specific stores allegedly targeted in the Charlotte area, and they said decisions about further charges will come as the investigation continues.
Officials emphasized that both plots were stopped in the planning stage. Bondi said the department “remains vigilant” against ISIS sympathizers. The FBI director, Kash Patel, credited information-sharing with local agencies, saying the bureau will “hold accountable” anyone who supports terrorist groups. In Los Angeles, local leaders praised the pace of the multi-agency response. Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna called the arrests a “powerful testament” to a unified approach, while San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus said the case shows how joint teams “identify, disrupt and neutralize threats before they can cause harm.”
In Charlotte, the complaint recounts undercover exchanges that began in mid-December and included a voice message in which Sturdivant allegedly pledged “bayat,” or an oath, to ISIS. Investigators say they recovered a target list from his room, along with the note laying out attire and tactics for what he described as a “martyrdom” operation. The document referenced stabbing civilians and attempting to draw police into a final confrontation. The FBI said a relative had tried to secure sharp tools in the home but that agents found two butcher knives and two hammers hidden beneath the bed. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina and trial attorneys from the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
In California, the affidavit says Carroll shared the “Operation Midnight Sun” document with co-conspirators in late November, outlining the use of “complex pipe bombs” and guidance for avoiding evidence. Agents allege Carroll and Page recruited Gaffield and Lai, obtained materials, and drove into the desert to work under a tent and assemble components on a table — actions agents documented before stepping in. The FBI said field offices in Boston, Buffalo and New Orleans also assisted. Prosecutors noted that “every defendant is presumed innocent” and that no device was completed when arrests occurred.
The disruptions capped a holiday period in which federal and local authorities stepped up patrols around large gatherings, including countdowns, concerts and fireworks displays. The Charlotte-area plan, as described, focused on softer targets with close-quarter weapons intended to cause injuries quickly. The California case sketched out an effort to strike companies rather than crowds, using timed explosive backpacks at multiple sites. Officials did not release the companies’ names, citing ongoing investigative needs.
Both matters now move through federal court. In North Carolina, a preliminary hearing and detention ruling are expected in the coming days in Charlotte. In California, the four defendants face arraignments on the indictment and potential motions hearings in the weeks ahead. Prosecutors said additional investigative steps remain under seal and declined to discuss evidence beyond what is in the complaints and indictment. Authorities said they will release scheduling updates through public court dockets.
As of Sunday, both cases remain active with the defendants in federal custody and no public trial dates set. The next expected milestones are detention and status hearings this month.
Author note: Last updated January 4, 2026.